


Worship

by The_antivan_reads



Series: Campsite ficlets [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Crying, Elven Gods, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Religion, War, awkward children how don't know how to emotion, dwarven religion, implied PTSD, leigion of the dead, shite, the maker - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 21:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4976788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_antivan_reads/pseuds/The_antivan_reads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now everyone had turned to stare at the casteless dwarf. </p><p>She closed her mouth, and pursed her lips. "Uh-  I don't exactly... Believe in anything. Never have really. At least not since I joined the legion... Which feels like five lifetimes ago. Maybe even before then."</p><p>"Not even the paragons?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worship

**Author's Note:**

> Nara Brosca 
> 
> Ok so this is an alternate dwarf beginning thing for me and I bought maybe it was a cool idea; Duncan goes down to the deep roads and finds the legion of the dead, and picks one member to come back to the surface and help Ferelden. (Contrary to how this is against their beliefs) It just so happened to my lil dwarf girl. Sorta like sigrun I guess... Maybe they were friends!!!

The fire crackled and hummed almost silently under the laughs and cackles that were let out from the campers that surrounded it. It was as if they were a bunch of friends in the wilderness, hunting buddies; almost like they all didn't have the extremely high chance of being very dead in the next six months. "Oh Andraste! That was a fun game of wicked grace"

Alistair chortled. The game had ended with Sten throwing all the cards up in fury and morrigan zapping some of them with fire as they floated in mid-air (Morrigan obviously gladly took the chance to show off) and the rest that fell to the ground were chewed up by Barkspawn.

They'd all had way too much mead, and now there was just the constant undertone of giggling and belching. Which Oghren repeatedly took as a challenge to burp louder than everyone else.

Nara felt zevran's devilish grin from on top of her head as it was rested on the crow's chest. She knew a sly comment would proceed this, so she pulled herself up to stare at him. "Yes we should definitely do this again... But maybe with a little more nudity hmmm?" 

Leliana giggled "yes. That is always a fun game! We should do that sometime." 

"Zevran! I can tolerate a lot, but not angry nudists!" 

Wynne shouted from the cooking pot on a seperate fire across the camp. Zevran ignored the old woman, shot a look down at Nara and winked. She poked her tiny, pink tongue out in childish retaliation. "Nice try zev, not gonna get me out of my armour that easy. You should know you have to work for it by now. At this rate you'll see the sharp end of my axe first." 

"I try so hard to please you- and all I get are nasty comments and threats- if I didn't already want you and I didn't know that I was irresistible, I'd say you and morrigan would make a good pair."

Morrigan burst like a volcano, cackled loudly with glee and flung her legs in the air. Everyone paused for a moment, shocked at her happy mood, then followed in suit laughing with her as they watched her make a scene. It had been an extremely fun night, but they'd all knew it was either going to wind down and everyone would leave, or now came the deep and meaningful sappy conversations. Which most of the party members would never participate in unless they were as drunk as they were. After the laughing had died down, Nara had settled back down into zevran's embrace and Leliana had moved to her feet. 

Only recently had Zevran confessed how much he cared for the dwarf, giving her a small token of affection. She returned the favour, despite how corny and uncharacteristic it was of both of them, the camp now knew they were in a steady, monogamous relationship, and Zevran became quite possessive. "I have to go pray now. So I am going to retire for the night. Sleep well all."

A symphony of 'boo's' followed behind her and then Nara shouted drunkly before the bard opened the flap to crawl into her tent. "awh! Cmon Lel! Just stay for one more hour! Can't your God wait one more measly hour? He's not gonna mind if you miss out on your marriage vow just one night or whatever the hell it is you do back there."

Everyone winced and Nara realised the terrible mistake she had made, but smiled smugly to hide her terror. Leliana stopped and turned swiftly back to the fire. Her hair seemed a darker shade of red while her cheeks were puffed up in frustration. She didn't look angry, but slightly pissed off. Leliana huffed a couple of times on her way back over, but it looked like she was just wearing way too tight breeches. She plonked herself back onto the ground and stared down Nara. "And what of your God Nara? Or is yours just your drunk of a mother?" 

Leliana covered her mouth immediately after and her eyes filled with regret. Either because she felt bad, or because she knew she had just dug herself a very deep hole and possibly fallen into the deep roads when challenging the legionnaire slash grey warden to a sass-off. A loud chorus of shouts and 'oooooooo's' made their way across the large camp and everyone began cheering on the fight of words besides Alistair. He just looked around awkwardly. But he usually did that, so not much was out of the ordinary. Nara opened her mouth wide and you could still see the large smirk on her face even with her mouth dislodged ready to eat Leliana whole. But then the dwarf warden was cut off by a small squeak from Alistair "what do you believe in Morrigan? Like as a legitimate question."

Everyone went silent. Morrigan turned herself to the red headed man. "What an odd change of conversation. And Alistair, why is it any of your business when it comes to whom I may or may not worship?"

He looked down at the dirt. "I don't know- I was just curious what everyone believed in- we are going to need faith soon. And a lot of it."

Morrigan sighed and thumbed her forehead. "Fine. My 'faith', tis what you want to describe it as, yes? I place it in the Elven Gods. What's left of them anyhow. But I do not actually practice anything. I believe there may, perhaps, be a sliver of a chance that they exist, but wether or not I trust in them to protect, guide me and determine my fate is another tale all together though isn't it?" 

"Huh" 

Leliana muttered and tilted her head curiously. Alistair spoke again. "I believe in the maker. And his holy wife, Andraste... I was just curious. Like you Morrigan, I haven't really said the chant of light and meant it in the last fifteen years but... Yeah"

"I too, believe in the maker, but I guess that was obvious."

Leliana smiled sweetly. Like nothing had happened just a minute ago. Sten grumbled. "The Qun is what you classify a 'religion' yes? Although I class it as a way of life, or more so a being but if that is what you wish me to answer then so be it."

Wynne made a loud tapping noise with the wooden spoon on her pot and shouted loudly. She had burnt her finger."maker! Ouch! That hurt!" 

Oghren belched and shuffled around "paragons and my ancestors of course!" 

Zevran smiled down at Nara. "I think both gods are as real as the other; the maker, but also Elven gods- they may even intertwine, but there's no sure way to tell- if any of you does meet a god, knowing our strangeness and affinity for curious occurrences I don't see why one of us wouldn't, could you thank them for creating me."

Nara laughed as zevran flipped his hair dramatically back and forth pretending he was a work of art, Barkspawn snored heavily. No one had noticed him fall asleep, but did he look cute at Naras's feet. Now everyone had turned to stare at the casteless dwarf. she closed her mouth, and pursed her lips. "Uh- I don't exactly... Believe in anything. Never have really. At least not since I joined the legion... Which feels like five lifetimes ago. Maybe even before then."

Alistair's mouth dropped. "Not even the paragons?"

Morrigan added "not even your drunkard mother?"

Leliana shot her an icy look, Morrigan laughed evilly this time and ignored the bards glare. "Nope."

"Why not?"

Sten pestered. "Because I just don't. Ok?"

Leliana moved closer. "but paragons are real- surely-"

Zevran tensed. "Leliana... Just leave it-"

Morrigan shrugged "obviously we have hit a very large pulsating nerve... Let's keep digging shall we?"

"oh my gosh! Surfacers! Always trying to pry into my business! Can we just drop it?"  
Nara stood, angry, out of zevran's comfortable arms and trudged grumbling back to her tent. Getting straight in before anyone could say otherwise. Nara climbed into her bed roll and curled up into a small ball.  
"Stupid humans and their curiosities. Who cares if I don't have a god? I don't need one! I don't need anybody-"

The dwarf pulled the sheets over her body, tangling herself as deep and as far away from everyone else as she could. And for a while,nit seemed to be working, until she heard he sound of a they flap open. "Nara? Mi Amore, whatever could be the matter?"

Nara coughed and chocked out tears. If Zevran hadn't wanted to be heard coming into the tent, he would have just kept quiet, but he obviously wanted the dwarf to know he was here to look after her. 

She really didn't want to say anything to zevran. They'd been so good at dodging emotional conversations so far. They loved each other definitely, they'd even taken to public displays of affection which neither of them really ever thought they'd want or experience with another person, but the two never wanted or needed talk about things that troubled, or frightened them.

"All the other Legionaries would drop down onto the floor and pray when we passed a statue of an ancestor and I just- didn't. I just didn't have faith in anyone but myself. I trusted me to look after me, not my great great great grandmother, no big man in a white robe with a human slash dragon wife, and no bunch of elves in skirts either. If any of them actually existed I'd still not believe in them. None of them have done anything for me. Ever. How could they? They're all dead in the ground. Everything you guys are witnessing here? In the light of day? The darkspawn... I'm used to seeing that everyday of my life. But you know what I also saw? The guts of my friends and comrades sprawled across the walls of every cracked statue and abandoned cavern in the deep roads. Every few meters there's a pod the darkspawn hide shiny things in that's made of legionaries skin. Their skin zevran. You know what happens to me if the darkspawn capture me? I get turned into one of those brood mothers! There is no faith, there's no belief, no love, no nothing! Just me, the darkspawn, and my death. Which is all I ever wanted anyway. But this? The grey wardens? It's the first time in my life I've been more than a poor casteless nobody who isn't worth shit. This is the first time I've been someone zev..."  
Zevran shivered and rested a hand tentatively on Nara's knee. They were both so bad at expressing their feelings that it made it seem strangely comforting to the dwarf. 

He made her feel like she wasn't being stupid or being coddled. "When I saw ruck... I knew him once you know? He was somebody I passed in the streets every single day and I always said hello to. Then we both grew up, went out own paths. I didn't even know he had left Orzammar. When I found him down there- so broken... and when I had to kill him- it wasn't even hard. It was something I'd done countless times. Killed a friend with the taint, I mean. It was easy- and that's what scares me the most- ze- zevran what's w... wrong with me?"

Zevran breathed heavily, taking in the sudden chill of the tent. Then without warning, he scooped the small, chubby dwarf up into his embrace and kissed her cheek tenderly. "Nothing is wrong with you, my beautiful warden. You have seen more death and sickness than even the bravest warrior can ever imagine. What you live with every day is out of nightmares. I cannot simply whisk those bad dreams away as much as I wish I could, but that is all they are, love; memories and bad dreams that torment a most perfect dwarf such as yourself make me melt from the inside.  
"I know completely well you do not need rescuing like some plain damsel, but I would like to fight alongside you against your struggles at least. Ease the burden, as it were."  
Usually Nara would have pushed the elf away in a fit of giggles or punched his shoulder for complimenting her so, but it was surprisingly appreciated right now. 

She decided the conversation would have to be tabled for now though...

Nara suddenly grinned devilishly, twisting herself out of his grasp to face him, his solemn eyes and droopy ears. As soon as he saw her expression though, he seemed to perk up as much as she had. "Well... I find it such a shame I have no one to pray to actually." 

Nara pushed herself up and planted light kissed up zevran's jawline "oh?" Zevran's breath hitched and Nara chuckled in his ear "care to- uh care to explain my dear?"

"Certainly. It means..." The dwarf leaned out to ghost her finger down his neck softly, She started working off zevran's cloth based shirt and he helped her out of hers. "I get to worship you instead."

"Is that so?"  
Was the last thing that was said before both decided to properly and loudly retire from the rest of the group for the night.

\--


End file.
